Host the PDF, then test the visitor link
Upload your menu, programme or price list to a website or file host you control. Copy its HTTPS visitor link, not a local file path or the address of an editing screen. Open it in a private browser window where you are signed out, then on a phone using mobile data. Visitors should reach the intended document without requesting access. Only make documents public when you intend anyone with the link to read them.
Choose a static or editable PDF QR
With tracking off, the PDF URL is stored directly in a static code and cannot be changed in that artwork. Replacing the file at the same public address can still work if your host supports it. With tracking on, the QR contains a Qex short link whose destination you can edit. Dynamic codes depend on Qex continuing to operate; the PDF also depends on its host keeping the file available.
Replace the PDF without replacing the printed code
Upload the revised document and test its public link first. Open the workspace that owns your existing Qex code, select that code, edit its destination and save. Do not create a new code: it has a different short link. Allow about a minute, then scan the original printed code and confirm the revised document appears. Keep the old file available until the new destination is checked.
Keep control of the code and the file
A guest workspace depends on the original browser state until you save it with email. Save the workspace before handing over printed material; use that email to sign in later. Keep access to the file host too. A designer should let the client create and save the workspace in their own browser, rather than share credentials. Saving the QR workspace does not save or back up the PDF.
Why does the QR still open the old PDF?
Check where the old version first appears before changing the artwork. Put a visible revision date inside your PDF so you can distinguish the files.
- Start with the original printScan the code already on your poster or card, rather than a newly generated preview. Compare the scanner’s link with the QR link on the existing code’s detail page. A new Qex code has a different short link and will not update that print. A static QR keeps its original file URL.
- Check the existing code’s destinationIn the owning workspace, open that same dynamic code and check its saved destination. If it still has the old URL, test your replacement PDF link signed out, then edit this code. Allow about a minute and scan the original print again; do not repeatedly create replacement codes.
- Open the PDF link directlyOpen the saved destination in a fresh private browser window, without going through the QR. Check the document’s revision date. If the direct link also shows the old PDF, check the file host: the upload may not have replaced the public file, the copied link may point to an earlier upload, or the host may be serving a cached copy. Qex does not host or replace the document.
- Separate an old viewer copy from a public-file problemIf the direct link shows the new PDF but your usual viewer shows the old one, close the old document and reopen the link in a fresh browser or another device. A downloaded PDF is a separate copy and will not update itself. If a fresh signed-out device also gets the old document, return to the saved destination and your file host’s publishing controls.
- Verify the replacement before retiring the old fileIf your host cannot reliably replace a file at the same address, publish the revised PDF at a new stable public URL and test anonymous access. Update the existing dynamic code’s destination and rescan the original print. A static code needs the original URL to serve the revision, or new artwork and a reprint. Keep the previous file available until the replacement works.
Check your existing code in its owning workspace or sign in with the email used to save it. A printed QR or downloaded image does not grant editing access.
Ready to update an existing PDF code?
Open your owning workspace and select the existing code. If you saved it with email, sign in with that email. Check the public file link before editing the destination.
Troubleshoot a document that will not open or use a mobile menu page instead.
How to make a QR code for a PDF
- Upload and check public accessHost the PDF yourself. Test the visitor link signed out and on a phone; fix login or permission barriers first.
- Paste the tested PDF linkLeave tracking on if you need to change the destination later. Turn it off only when a fixed URL suits your task.
- Download and save controlDownload your QR artwork or the free A4 or US Letter document sign with a label and readable fallback address. For a dynamic code, save the owning workspace with email so you can return to edit it.
- Test the final print and documentPrint a proof at actual size. Scan it on visitor devices, open the PDF and check its version and readability before ordering a batch.
Check your QR before printing
Keep the full clear margin around your downloaded QR. Print one proof at the final size, measure it, and scan it with the phones your visitors use before ordering a batch.
Compare QR print dimensions and make an A4 or US Letter proof for a plain, no-logo static link or text code. For your existing dynamic code, paste its Qex short link, rather than the destination, to keep the same redirect in the proof. For a code with a logo, frame, Wi-Fi details or a contact card, test the actual downloaded artwork; the plain calculator does not reproduce that design.
Diagnose a QR code that will not scan or open if a proof fails.
Questions
Can I upload a PDF to Qex?
No. This tool creates a QR for a PDF link you already host. The PDF stays with your website or file host; it is not stored inside the QR.
Can I use a Drive or Dropbox sharing link?
Use a visitor link that opens without sign-in or an access request. Sharing labels and restrictions vary by host and organization. Test the exact link in a signed-out private window rather than assuming a copied link is public.
Why does my PDF QR ask visitors to sign in?
The QR may be reading correctly while the file host restricts access. Check the destination directly while signed out. Fix sharing permissions or use another public host, then rescan. Making the artwork larger will not remove a login wall.
Can I change the PDF after printing?
Yes if you control the existing Qex dynamic code: edit its destination to the tested new PDF link. A static code keeps its original URL, so you must keep or replace the document at that same address, or reprint.
Why does my QR still open the old PDF after an update?
Scan the original printed code and check that you edited the same existing dynamic code, then compare its saved destination with the public PDF link. Open that destination directly in a fresh signed-out browser and check the revision date. If it also shows the old document, check the file host’s upload and publishing controls. A downloaded PDF is a separate copy and does not update itself. A static QR keeps its original URL.
Do scan counts prove that visitors read the PDF?
No. QR scan counts are not completed reads or unique readers. The host may separately record previews or downloads; scanners can prefetch links, and those totals may differ.
Should a menu be a PDF or a web page?
A mobile-friendly page can be easier to read than a wide PDF with small type. If you already have a PDF, check it on a phone. An existing dynamic code can later point to a menu page instead.